Gun



Nov. 30, 1943. w. suMMl-:RBELL GUN Filed July l5. 1939 vw NN lT-LvEr-Ltm1,' William ummEY-Tnll v Fna 5 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATESPATENT FFICE GUN William Summerbell, Watervliet, N. Y.

Application July 13, 1939, Serial No. 284,256

4 Claims. '('CL 89-2) l(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, asamended April 80, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described hereinmay be manufactured and used by or for the Goverment for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a gun and more particularly it has referenceto a gun of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,144,285 of June 22,1915.

In the gun of the patent, a breech block operating on the blow-backprinciple advances a cartridge into the chamber of the gun barrel andfires the cartridge before it is in its final position so that gaspressure is first utilized to arrest the forward motion of the breechblock before acting to drive it rearwardly in recoil. Because a portionof the gas pressure is utilized to arrest the forward motion of theblock a relatively light spring may be used to check the recoil motionof the block under influence of the remaining gas pressure. A relativelyslow counterrecoil motion of the block is incident to the employment ofthe relatively light spring and the rate of fire is consequentlyreduced. Furthermore, because of the dependence on gas pressure toarrest the forwardly moving block it is necessary, in the event of ahangre, to provide some means for preventing rebound of the block afterstriking the rear face of the barrel.

In the gun of this invention the breech block is of the same typeas-that disclosed in the patent but provision is made for a more rapidcounterrecoil stroke and for firing from a fixed position just out ofbattery. This is accomplished by employing a relatively heavycounterrecoil spring and by associating therewith an hydraulicthrottling or buffer mechanism.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan view with parts removed of a gun constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View through the yoke.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown aframe A carrying a fixed barrel B and a reciprocable breech block C.

The breech block is provided with a cross-piece 4 projecting laterallythrough the frame A and each end is attached by means of a pin 5 to aforwardly extending rod 6 which is spaced from the barrel. The frontextremities of the rods 6 are similarly attached by pins 'l to a yoke 8whi is slidably mounted on a sleeve 9 fixed on t barrel near its muzzle.The yoke is maintain against rotation by means of pins 9a. whose innends ride in longitudinal grooves I 0 in the slee* A retaining ring I|threaded on the rear el of the yoke internally carries a nut I2 and h aflange I3 confining a collar I4 on the nut that the nut is freelyrotatable when a tool applied to apertures I5 in the nut. The nutthreaded on a tubular spring seat I6 which h -an internal flange Il onits front end slidat engaging the barrel. The spring seat is co strainedto a reciprocating movement by mea of screws I8 whose inner ends ride influtes I9 the barrel which are in continuation of tl grooves I0 in thesleeve 9.

A spring 28 surrounding the barrel is conn between the flange Il of theseat I6 and an ann lar shoulder 2| which is provided on the bari whichis located at the front end of the frame The spring normally holds thebreech block the closed or in battery position. The init: loading of thespring may be varied by displacii the spring seat I6 longitudinally ofthe .g through rotation of the nut I2.

A pair of longitudinally spaced yokes 22- attached to the barrel B carrya pair of cylinde 23-23 on opposite sides of the gun and in ax alignmentwith the rods 6-6. The oppos: ends 24--24 of each cylinder are in theform a stu'ing box including packing 25 and a gla 26. Within the frontend of each cylinder a: immediately in rear of the corresponding endthere is provided a bushing 2l which is thread in place. The bushingwhich constitutes a val case is formed with a plurality of longitudinaextending passages 28 which establish fluid co1 munication to the spacesin front and in rear the bushing. The bushing is also formed withcentral, enlarged, cylindrical opening 29 for 1 ceiving a piston valve30 whose stem 3| receii and is threaded to the rod 6. -The rod 6 pref(ably consists of two members 'la and lb to faci tate assembly and.'adjustment and the adjace ends of the two rod members are threaded iattachment with the valve stem.

The rear end of the valve stem 3| is thread to receive an adjusting nut32 which constitute` seat for a helical spring 33. The front end of ispring acts on a valve 34 which is slid'ably moui ed on the valve stem3| and has a beveled edge which engages a correspondingly shaped seat inthe piston valve 30 to close a plurality of pz sages 3l in the valve 30.

i the normal position of the parts as shown in 2 the valves 30 and 34are both closed and cylinder is lled with a liquid such as oil. In

position the breech block is in battery. pon retraction of the breachblock the rods 5 moved rearwardly to retract the yoke 8 and press thespring 20. During the initial move- .t of the rods the piston valve 30moves against liquid in rear of the bushing 21 and throttles Lrough thepassages 28. The liquid acting on valve 34 maintains it in closedposition. he breech block is returned into battery at a l speed by thespring 20. During the final ion of the counterrecoil stroke the piston e30 enters the opening 29 in the bushing and es the liquid through thepassages 28. The ld in front of the piston valve is also forced ugh thepassages 31 therein and opens the e 34 which under the inuence of itsspring yrols the rate of flow of the liquid. In this lner the nalmovement of the counter reng breech block is gradually checked andterated, The gun is fired from a xed position out of battery claim:

In a gun, a frame, a barrel fixed to the 1e, a breech block slidablymounted in the 1e, a counterrecoil mechanism for the block iding aforwardly extending rod, a cylinder `aining a liquid fixed to the barreland axially 'wing the rod, a valve case within thecylinand having acentral opening and a plurality ngitudinal throttling passages, a pistonValve ng a stem carried by the rod and movable the central opening ofthe valve case, said an valve formed with a beveled valve seat withpassages, a valve slidable on the stem yhe piston valve and having abeveled face iging the beveled seat of the piston valve to e thepassages therein, and a. spring for said led valve.

In a gun having a barrel, a recoil and counterrecoil buier mechanismcomprising a cylinder stationary with said barrel containing a fluid andincluding a valve case having a central opening and longitudinalthrottling passages, a piston valve adapted to move into and out of thecentral opening of the valve case,.

a pair of rods inserted through the opposite ends of the cylinder andthreaded to the piston valve, an opening in said valve and a springpressed closure therefor, and a spring connected to said rods to urgethe same in counterrecoil, said closure positioned to yield to passageof the fluid during counterrecoil of the rods.

3. In a gun, a frame, a barrel fixed to the frame, a breech blockslidably mounted on the frame, a counter-recoil mechanism comprising aforwardly extending rod connected to the breech block, a cylinder havingfront and rear chambers and containing a fluid, said 'cylinder being xedto the frame and containing the rod, a bushing xed in the cylinder andhaving uid passages therethrough establishing communication between thechambers and having an enlarged central opening, a piston in saidopening having a iuid passage therethrough and a valve seat thereon,said piston being fixed to the rod, a valve cooperating with said valveseat controlling the passage of uid through the piston, and acounter-recoil spring normally seating said valve.

4. In a gun, a frame, a barrel xed to the frame, a breech block slidablein the frame, a pair of forwardly extending rods connected to the breechblock, a sleeve fixed to the barrel, a yoke slidable on the sleeve andconnected to the rods, a spring seat adjustably carried by the yoke, aspring surrounding the barrel and conned between the spring seat and therear part of the barrel, and guideways in said sleeve and means on thespring seat coacting with said guideways to prevent rotation of thespring seat.

WILLIAM SUMMERBELL.

